
the market that F1 had been trying to crack for practically its entire existence. The pitch was simple: A new American team featuring a star American driver (all under the banner of the great American racing name) would serve as the bellows to stoke the flames of the passionate new American fan base, a.k.a. But the convergence of all the F1 power brokers onto their home soil was an opportunity to make their case in person. “He is awaiting the FIA’s determination.” By Miami, in May, Michael and Mario were still waiting. “His entry, Andretti Global, has the resources and checks every box,” Mario tweeted. In February, Mario shocked the racing world by announcing that his eldest son, Michael, had filed paperwork with the sport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), to bring a brand-new American racing team and American driver to the F1 paddock in 2024. But he is also there in a more surreptitious capacity to help ensure that he is not the last bridge, as well.

Indeed, he is an official ambassador of the Grand Prix and the most meaningful bridge between American racing fans and the globe-spanning racing series.

Mario is in Miami in his capacity as the great connector between American race car driving and Formula 1.
